Day 8: Friday, January 11...and the Weekend of January 12 & 13Assignments: Kitchen Organizing & Cleaning, Find a Recipe and Try it Out

I'm not going to sugar coat it - this is a big weekend, workwise. There's lots to do and it's focused on a room, the kitchen, which many of us find challenging to keep ahead of in terms of clutter and cleaning. So, let's aim for a healthy mix of energy and realistic expectations and, rather than unattainable perfection, we'll set our sights on getting this tough room to a better place by Sunday evening, in time to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

The upside to the challenge? We're focusing on one room, and not worrying about anywhere or anything else, so with some favorite music playing, the right mindset in place and the extra time the weekend provides, we should be just fine.

This Weekend's Assignment:

• Buy your Weekly Flowers (and enjoy them!)

• Clean Your Kitchen and Declutter/Organize as You Go

To help you organize your time and your tasks, here are some excerpts from Maxwell's kitchen cleaning plan from The Eight Step Home Cure:

Remove shelf liners and replace or wash and replace. Moving everything in order to do the washing will allow you to reach bottles, jars, and boxes that you may not have seen in a long time. The foods we keep in our kitchens should be fresh and replenished frequently.

2. Remove all food:a. past its expiration dateb. Unused for more than twelve monthsc. In containers that are nearly empty

Look hard an your own kitchen. If a food item is old, throw it away; if it is unopened and you will never eat it, give it away. Aim to reduce the mass of your stored foods by at least 25 percent.

3. Remove all cups, glasses, and dishes that area. Chipped, stained or unmatching - unless the unmatching is intentional :)b. Extra or unused

Seriously edit down the odds and ends in your glasses, dishware and servingware. If you notice that you are short on certain items, add a note to replace them to your list of projects.

4. Remove cookware you don't use.

• Find a Recipe and Make Yourself a Simple, Enjoyable Meal

Maxwell notes that "using your kitchen regularly is the only way to keep it in good shape" and is central to the well-being of a home. Whether cooking at home is something you normally do daily OR rarely, be sure give it a go this weekend - you'll be more connected to your kitchen, more empowered to keep it clean and organized and you'll be well fed - not a bad deal!

1. Find a simple-sounding, new, delicious-to-you recipe and give it a try. If you are looking for some inspiration, our sister site, The Kitchn, has a whole archive of them to choose from.

2. Make a quick shopping list, and pick up any ingredients you need for the preparation (maybe at the same time as doing your flower shopping?).

3. Relax and enjoy the preparation process and your meal

4. Be sure to clean up after yourself

5. Let us know what you made (and how wonderful it was!) in the comments below.

And, just like last week, lets stick together and keep the energy up - use the thread to ask questions and support each other throughout the weekend and, come Monday morning, we'll all be making our tea in a cleaner kitchen!